Locking system for rocking chair

Abstract

A locking system for a rocking chair is provided that is compact in size and easily integratable into the overall structure of the rocking chair. The rocking chair comprises a base structure, a seating structure, a seat cushion support frame rockably mounted on the seating structure, a seat cushion, a stop carried by the seat cushion support frame, a biasing mechanism and a two part locking device mutually engageable when the seat cushion is occupied by a user and clearing each other when the user has left the seat whereby the rocking chair is automatically locked against rocking.

1 . A rocking chair comprising:
 a base structure comprising:
 an upper part; 
 a lower part; 
 an exterior face; 
 and an interior face; 
   a seating structure, comprising opposing front and back ends as well as opposing side ends, wherein the seating structure is mounted to the upper part of the base structure;   a seat cushion support frame rockably mounted on said seating structure, said seat cushion support frame having a front and rear portion;   a seat cushion movably mounted on said seat cushion support frame having limited up and down movement between a high limit position and a low limit position;   a stop carried by said seat cushion support frame and engaging said seat cushion in said low limit position;   a biasing mechanism biasing said seat cushion to said high position, wherein a weight of a person seated on said seat cushion lowering said seat cushion to said low limit position against a bias of said biasing mechanism;   a two part locking device, having a top part mounted to the seat cushion support frame of said seating structure and a bottom part mounted to the base structure, mutually engageable when said seat cushion is in said low position and clearing each other when said seat is in said high limit position; whereby said rocking chair is automatically locked against rocking when a person leaves said seat cushion.   
     
     
         2 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the front portion of said seat cushion support frame is pivotably connected to the front end of said seating structure, and wherein said biasing mechanism comprises a spring attached to the rear end of the seat cushion support frame and to the back end of said seating structure. 
     
     
         3 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said stop carried by said seat cushion support frame engaging said seat cushion in the low limit position is an elongated tab protruding outwardly from the rear portion of the seat cushion support frame, horizontally coming into contact with the back end of the seating structure when seat cushion is in said low limit position. 
     
     
         4 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said two part locking device comprises a stopper actuator carried by the seat cushion support frame as a first part, and a stopper and a comb structure carried by the base structure as a second part wherein the low limit position of the seat cushion mutually engages said stop actuator against the stopper and the comb structure, wherein the comb structure comprises a plurality of protruding teeth. 
     
     
         5 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the comb structure is laterally mounted to two opposing exterior faces of the upper part of said base structure. 
     
     
         6 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the comb structure is a rack gear. 
     
     
         7 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the stopper comprises an arm movably mounted on pivots to a support on opposing outer faces of the base structure and has both an unlocked and a locked position, wherein a biasing means biases the stopper towards the locked position, and wherein contact between the stopper actuator of the seat cushion frame and the stopper displays the stopper towards said unlocked position. 
     
     
         8 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the biasing means is a spring. 
     
     
         9 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 7 , wherein a stop limits motion of the arm of the stopper while in the unlocked position. 
     
     
         10 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the stopper in the locked position mutually engages with the protruding teeth of the comb structure and wherein locking of the rocking chair occurs laterally on two opposing exterior faces of the base structure between the stopper and the teeth of the comb structure. 
     
     
         11 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the comb structure is laterally mounted to two opposing interior faces of the upper part of said base structure. 
     
     
         12 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the comb structure is a rack gear. 
     
     
         13 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the stopper comprises an arm movably mounted on pivots to a support on opposing inner faces of the base structure and has both an unlocked and a locked position, wherein a biasing means biases the stopper towards the locked position, and wherein contact between the stopper actuator of the seat cushion frame and the stopper displays the stopper towards said unlocked position. 
     
     
         14 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the biasing means is a spring. 
     
     
         15 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 13  wherein a stop limits motion of the arm of the stopper while in the unlocked position. 
     
     
         16 . A rocking chair as defined  claim 13 , wherein the stopper in the locked position mutually engages with the protruding teeth of the comb structure and wherein locking of the rocking chair occurs laterally on two opposing interior faces of the base structure between the stopper and the teeth of the comb structure. 
     
     
         17 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said two part locking device comprises a stopper actuator carried by the seat cushion support frame as a first part, and a stopper and a comb structure carried by the base structure as a second part wherein the low limit position of the seat cushion mutually engages said stop actuator against the stopper and the comb structure, wherein the comb structure comprises a plurality of protruding teeth. 
     
     
         18 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said two part locking device comprises a stopper actuator carried by the seat cushion support frame as a first part, and a stopper and a comb structure carried by the base structure as a second part wherein the low limit position of the seat cushion mutually engages said stop actuator against the stopper and the comb structure, wherein the comb structure comprises a plurality of protruding teeth. 
     
     
         19 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the stopper comprises an arm movably mounted on pivots to a support on opposing outer faces of the base structure and has both an unlocked and a locked position, wherein a biasing means biases the stopper towards the locked position, and wherein contact between the stopper actuator of the seat cushion frame and the stopper displays the stopper towards said unlocked position. 
     
     
         20 . A rocking chair as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the stopper comprises an arm movably mounted on pivots to a support on opposing outer faces of the base structure and has both an unlocked and a locked position, wherein a biasing means biases the stopper towards the locked position, and wherein contact between the stopper actuator of the seat cushion frame and the stopper displays the stopper towards said unlocked position.